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History of the MicroWiki Community

The history of the MicroWiki Community started with the creation of MicroWiki by the user Monsterfurby on the free wikifarm Wikia.[1] Initially created at micronations.wikia.com (now known as MicroWikia), the wiki has since grown to encompass over thirteen thousand articles and the community surrounding it has also grown considerably since.

The community adapts to the departure of Robert Lethler and the move to the independent site. Skype groups become the focal points of community interaction, and tension grows due to the rise of Yabloko and what is seen as an unfair site administration.

A decrease in overall tensions and conflict in the community, the return of the GUM and the fall of Yabloko and the OAM. Some younger micronationalists return to and take over the Wikia site, establishing a rival community.

A mostly quiet era dominated by the left-wing, with few major disruptions but declining levels of diplomatic interaction. The community moves to micronation.org, which is sold to the current owner Emperor Jonathan I.

A rift in the community develops between two main "camps", one based on the MicroWiki Forums mostly comprised of younger, more left-wing members and the other based on the community's Skype and Facebook groups mostly comprised of older, more right-wing members.

A period when the wiki was dominated by the United Republic of Arlberg, a micronation founded in 2003 that joined the wiki in September 2005. Having close ties with Satirocity, Arlberg dissolved in 2006.

This period saw the rise of the non-serious nation Satirocity to the leadership of the wiki. Close friends with Monsterfurby, Prince Jeffrey II of Satirocity joined the wiki in April 2006 and was made an admin in August. The owner of multiple accounts, Funkybrain and Funkybrain2 seem to have been his main accounts.

Conflict and diplomatic tension between the "superpowers" of the time (St.Charlie, Scientopia, Erusia and New Europe) continues, but is less intensive than during Black March. The use of "Talk page diplomacy" reaches its peak, with the majority of communication taking place on talk pages of relevant wiki articles. As well as several minor conflicts which had been ongoing since March coming to an end, both the New Euro-Erusian and Rhodesian Wars break out and are subsequently ended by efforts from the Grand Unified Micronational, increasing the influence of the GUM and its de facto leader, Robert Lethler.

Lethler Era

Characterised by the hegemony of the GUM and Robert Lethler over the community, with the GUM effectively being seen as the community itself during September and October 2009. Despite frosty relations between Erusia and St.Charlie, no major conflicts break out during this time. Many older micronations fall into inactivity while several newer micronations join the community.

The influence of the GUM begins to decline at the expense of that of the Organisation of Active Micronations, strengthened by several micronations joining; for the first time, there is a viable alternative intermicronational organisation in the community. This results in the influence of the GUM beginning to decrease, no longer representing a community unified under one organisation.

A second period of intense conflict, a year after the last. The Austenasian Civil War drastically polarises the community, with many influential micronations backing different sides of the conflict (becoming a mostly Austenasian issue by the start of April as the micronations which support the rebels withdraw from the war). Other conflicts such as the Great Patriotic War and the Flaradonian-Solvoian War also break out, with neither the GUM or OAM proving capable of preventing these conflicts (although the end of the Austenasian Civil War is ultimately due to the outcome of GUM peace talks).

Many micronations which form today's community arrive on MicroWiki. Mark Dresner is proven to have been a sockpuppet decieving the community in April, and is banned. The "Great Ideological Conflict" breaks out in May as a result of tensions which still remain today between the left- (led by Erusia and Sandus) and right- (led by Bradley of Dullahan and the ICA) wings of the community. The influence of the GUM rapidly declines in late July, whereas that of the OAM steadily rises throughout this period. On 30 July, it is discovered that Robert Lethler is a fictional persona, and that his nation of Erusia is entirely fabricated. Lethler leaves the community, and is followed out of the GUM by Erusia's close ally Sandus, the coinciding of which with both an electoral dispute and the temporary departure from the community of major GUM power New Europe results in a near-fatal blow to GUM influence and activity.

Post-Lethler Era

The community finds itself without the presence of Lethler for the first time in nearly two years. The GUM, fatally weakened by his departure, is effectively abandoned in September whereas the OAM becomes the sole intermicronational organisation in the community, with its forums becoming a focal point of communication. The Atlantis Civil War breaks out in September - unlike the Austenasian Civil War, only younger micronations take sides and the conflict is roundly condemned by the community as a whole. Talk pages cease to be the main method of communication for members of the community during this period, being succeeded by the OAM forums and then by micronational Skype rooms, the latter of which are used to share new ideas such as Microball.

Wikia implements unpopular changes to its site, resulting in the community leaving micronations.wikia.com and migrating to microwiki.org.uk, a new site created and managed by Pierre d'Égtavie (initially with help from Gordon Freeman). Kyng Fyrst is appointed an admin at the old site by Wikia, leading to intense unpopularity - this, together with electoral disputes in his micronation the Slinky Empyre, leads to the Slinky Empyre dissolving in January, with a short-lived successor state set up that is disestablished the following month. The Slinky War, fought between supporters of Fyrst and supporters of the successor state, is the last major war between members of the community. The influence of the OAM declines as a result of the original MicroWiki Forums being unveiled in late December, directing users away from using the OAM forums to communicate and towards the MicroWiki Forums and the growing Skype community. Furthermore, founder Gordon Freeman resigns from the OAM and announces a "withdrawal" from the community after Sebastian Linden addresses him by his real name during a dispute on the OAM forums. Freeman denounces this as a breach of privacy and begins a campaign to ostracise Linden from the community by having him banned from MicroWiki, an issue which divides the community for several months to come.

Aldrich Lucas of Yabloko, a highly active administrator, becomes extremely influential over MicroWiki. Linden's ban stays in place until the end of this period, with the admins taking the side of Freeman; this results in intense tension and debate between the supporters of Freeman and Linden, with the pro-Linden faction expanding to some extent to create a loose "anti-admin movement" calling for the wiki's administration to be more accountable. Tension also erupts over the OAM, which loses its monolithic presence over the community due to the MicroWiki Forums providing an alternative venue for communication, as well as to growing dislike of Freeman. Criticism of the OAM's purpose and scope increases in intensity during this period as well; many claim that the OAM has achieved little and is maintained simply as a means for Freeman to maintain influence in the community he claims to have left. This, along with what is perceived by many as instances of religious bigotry from Freeman, leads to a closely-failed (by a single vote) motion of no confidence against him in June, resulting in twelve member nations leaving the OAM in protest at his refusal to resign. The influence of the OAM over the community declines, and it reaches into other communities such as Micras, which itself is condemned by those who consider Micras geofiction as opposed to micronationalism.

The factions found in the community during the preceding period begin to fade, with Linden being unbanned due to pressure from most of the wiki's users. The influence of the OAM continues to decline, with levels of activity rapidly dropping and short-lived breakaway organisations such as the OUM and IMU being formed. Dissatisfied with the OAM, members of the GUM restore it to activity in August, but decide to initially keep this a secret from the wider community so that members of both the GUM and OAM have a chance to end their terms in elected positions in the latter. The 2011 Intermicronational Summit takes place later that month, the first time that numerous members of the community have met in person.

Inter-Summit Era

A brief return of Robert Lethler results in the Yablokogate Scandal, and the rebirth of the GUM becoming public knowledge. Lethler publishes a dossier (endorsed by several other GUM members) revealing Yabloko to be at best a non-serious micronation and at worst little more than a forum-based game, with senior figures within it plotting to control the community. Intense controversy suddenly arises between supporters and opponents of Aldrich Lucas as a result of the publication of the dossier, with several members of the community threatening to leave over what they see as secrets, bickering and manipulation on both sides. Calm is eventually restored, but TASPAC, an organisation which was heavily involved in the controversy by defending Yabloko with the help of two rogue GUM members, becomes regarded as secretive and conspiring by most of the community. This, along with the continuing decline of the OAM, helps lead to an increasing level of GUM membership and influence.

The OAM finally dissolves in late December after several months of declining activity and influence. Meanwhile, the GUM flourishes under the first tenure of Chairman Crown Prince Jonathan, amending its constitution and restoring its levels of activity and membership to Lethler Era levels. In February, Aldrich Lucas is voted out of the administration and has his wiki account deleted after discussion on the MicroWiki Forum; he vandalises the forums and as a result is permanently banned from the site.

With Yabloko and the OAM absent from the community, tensions within it decrease. The GUM continues to grow in size and influence. The old Wikia site is brought back to activity by some younger micronationalists, but is unable to reach the level of popularity or activity held by MicroWiki.

Settled Era

Characterised by relative harmony and peaceful relations between most members of the community, partially catalysed by a large proportion of them meeting at PoliNation 2012. The 24 Hour Quorum is held in an example of the community uniting around a single project.

Frequent comments percieved as xenophobic or discriminatory by Quentin I and Bradley of Dullahan, leaders of the Kingdom of Wyvern, result in diplomatic conflict between Wyvern and other micronations such as Sandus, Juclandia and Prsänëa. Frequent arguments between the two sides take place over venues such as Skype and the GUM, with the controversy becoming the main issue of the day for much of the community and leading to a scandal in the GUM after members of its leadership are accused of taking sides. Plans for a week-long meeting of micronationalists at Paris in July also get underway.

Arguments within the community once again die down, with little notable diplomatic conflict taking place, but with overall diplomatic contact and on-site activity also greatly decreasing at the expense of informal communication over Facebook groups and Skype rooms. The 2013 Intermicronational Summit takes place at Paris in July, one of the few diplomatically notable events to take place during this period. Worry grows about the lack of diplomacy taking place in the community, and the presence of individuals deemed disruptive and unprofessional in Skype and Facebook groups associated with the community.

After initial uncertainty about the future of the community, MicroWiki transfers from org.uk to Micronation.org. The site is bought by Emperor Jonathan I of Austenasia from Pierre d'Égtavie on 13 May 2014. Diplomatic activity generally remains at low levels, but two small informal meetings take place in London towards the end of this period. Tensions begin to rise once more between the left- and right-wings of the community, but over social rather than economic issues, with disputes breaking out over matters such as free speech and gender identity.

Polarised Era

The promulgation of the controversial Denton Protocol by Sandus and Zealandia results in a large backlash from right-wing members of the community and an open breach between the left- and right-wings, with the left wing losing its moral hegemony over the community. This period saw the conversion of several members of the community to Christianity, as well as the abandoning of socialism by many of its former adherents; a previous stereotype of MicroWiki being populated mainly by communist atheists becomes impossible to apply. MicroWiki celebrates its tenth anniversary in May 2015, whereas activity in the parallel MicroWikia community declines almost to non-existence, with the majority of articles on the Wikia site being deleted by its administration.

After a long period of declining activity, the GUM abolishes its functions as an intergovernmental organisation and transitions into a formal chatroom between individuals on 14 June. The tensions between the left- and right-wings of the community continue to grow (partially exacerbated by socially conservative public statements by members of Pavlov and Lostisland), with most members of the community settling in one of two "camps".

Concern about community cohesion grows as the users of the wiki almost completely separate into a primarily left-wing faction mainly using the MicroWiki forums and a primarily right-wing faction mainly using the traditional MicroWiki-focused Skype rooms, at the same time as a breach between newer and older users of the site (mainly corresponding to the left- and right- wings, respectively) forms.

The GUM is reformed as an intergovernmental organisation in an attempt to restore diplomatic contact between the older and newer members of the community, a goal which is largely achieved with the successful holding of a second 24 Hour Quorum. The MicroWiki Forums see a large amount of disruption from two users in particular who start ideological and diplomatic disputes between themselves and others which become the main issue of the day for many, but both are ostracized from the community by the end of this period. Many of the newer members of the community increase their online presence due to becoming more involved in each other's micronations, whereas many of the older members become less active due to increasing demands from "real world" matters such as jobs and university.

Stagnant Era

Diplomatic division between older and newer members dies down, with many older members of the community leaving its traditional venues and those which remain forming closer ties with newer members. Tensions sharply rise after a relatively quiet few months, with late August seeing the site swamped with news on a dispute between Austenasia and Delvera and the disruption caused by an individual encouraging a break-away movement from the community, but both issues swiftly die down.

Activity in the GUM, on the MicroWiki Forums, and in associated Skype groups drops to an all-time low, with a predicted revival after people settle back into school after summer failing to materialize. Concerns are voiced publicly about the future of the GUM, and community members discuss ways to restore activity.

Some new members arrive in the community, but interaction and activity remain at low levels. Even the Abeldane Empire, previously one of the most active of the solely web-based MicroWiki community, struggles to maintain its government, and similar micronations increasingly discuss ways to withstand limited participation.

4 May 2017: The second 24 Hour Quorum takes place, uniting much of the community in a single event.

5 September 2017: A diplomatic dispute between Austenasia and Delvera comes to an end.

15 June 2018: The Emperor of Abelden abdicates after the micronation falls into inactivity.

Modern Era

The community largely moves from Skype to Discord, a shift encouraged by the MicroWiki administration, which launches an official Discord server, MicroWiki@Discord, which is consistently active and sees a significant number of new, typically younger members join the community. A new subreddit - r/microwiki - is also created. Meanwhile, Jonathan I becomes head administrator of MicroWikia, and begins a drive to finally end the schism between the two sites and bring the users on Wikia back over to MicroWiki. The community shows strong signs of returning to life.

17 September 2018: The Discord server MicroWiki@Discord is launched, triggering a large boost in activity.